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No, you are waiting for ammonia and nitrite to be 0. Unless the tank is heavily planted there will be nitrates, you just need to keep them below 20ppm.

When I go fishing I just throw sharp rocks in the water and wait for the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherEverything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is you are stupid and make bad decisions. I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.
A moderator on a fish forum should be able to identify an oscar... Don't you think?Dear naps, sorry I hated you so much when I was a child... Love me

Just to expand a little more on this (I know I had to hear it several times before it sank in) While you're cycling your tank you need to have a little bit of ammonia (no more than .50) to grow the beneficial bacteria in your filter(s) Your fish will produce that for you. Once your ammonia drops to 0 you should have nitrites (because ammonia converts to nitrites)You need to keep your nitrites under .50 as well. Again, you do that with water changes. You may also have nitrites and ammonia showing and that's okay - as long as you keep the nitrites and ammonia under .50

Soon, you'll have nitrates and you'll also keep testing for ammonia and nitrites. Once both of them are 0 THEN your tank is cycled and all you should be dealing with long term are nitrAtes. The way you keep your nitrates under 20ppm (because you will always have some nitrates due to fish waste) then you keep them under control with weekly water changes. How much you change depends on how high the nitrates are.

One other thing just in case it hasn't been said or you missed it when you read the cycling with fish stickie: do not touch your filter during this process. If it gets dirty (you're probably feeding too much) just leave it be. You don't want to disturb the beneficial bacteria that's growing on your filter media (ie: ceramic rings or balls, sponge, filter floss) If you mess with the filter, you will slow your cycle down and it won't complete as fast as it should. You could also kill all of your BB inadvertently if you mess with it too much.

Only after your tank is cycled (0 ammonia and nitrItes and you have nitrAtes) do you want to clean you filter. And even then, handle the filter media gently. do NOT rinse any of your filter parts or media in tap water. Scoop out some tank water into a bucket and clean your media there. The water will end up brown and yucky but that's okay. And don't replace your filter media (even though the mfg will tell you to put a new filter cartridge in every month. I've had the same cartridge in one of my filters for over 2 1/2 years now.

Thank you fishmommie. That laid it out for me perfectly. Appreciate your input.

Glad it helped. I have a tendency to over explain (sorry) but I remember when I was just beginning there would be some vital little piece that I wouldn't get - maybe because someone already thought I knew, or I SHOULD have known it LOL
anyway - I'm sure you're doing fine.
Now it;s all about those water changes and patience.
you could be looking at a few weeks to a month or two. every tank is different.

There is no such thing as over explaining to me. I need the details. And your right. There were a lot of little pieces I did not get. ;-) A month or Two? Ugh!...

LOL. Now you know we many of us like to cycle fishless. Besides being easier on the fish, it's much easier on the fish keeper :o) You need to get a python or an Aqueon Water Changer. Makes like in the fish lane a whole lot easier:o)

Another 50% water change is needed today to bring the ammonia down to under .25ppm.

When I go fishing I just throw sharp rocks in the water and wait for the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherEverything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is you are stupid and make bad decisions. I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.
A moderator on a fish forum should be able to identify an oscar... Don't you think?Dear naps, sorry I hated you so much when I was a child... Love me